The 2020 Belarusian presidential election is already different from the past six. That's not because of who the president is – Alexander Lukashenko has been in power for 26 years – but because the opposition has been able to galvanize significant portions of the population to join street protests to give voice to their cause.

The current president

In 1994, during the first Belarusian presidential election since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Alexander Lukashenko saw off then-Prime Minister Vyacheslav Kebich, to earn a four-year term. Then, through a series of referendums, the former farm manager prolonged and then abolished term limits. The decades under Lukashenko's administration have been marked by a focus on agricultural development, shifting winds in relationships with Moscow and tension in relations with the West. But he now faces a real threat to his leadership, with four candidates pushing for the presidency.

The opposition candidates

Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya, the wife of a famous Belarusian opposition member and blogger who took over his campaign when he was jailed (see below).

Anna Kanapatskaya, a former member of parliament who is alienated from mainstream opposition movements because of her association with the ruling institutions.

Andrey Dmitriev, the co-chairman of the political movement "Tell the Truth," which has persistently led vocal criticism of Lukashenko's rule. Dmitriev previously worked in campaigns for opposition candidates in the 2010 and 2016 elections.

Siarhei Cherachen, a businessman who was once a member of the Communist party but left join the Belarusian Social Democrats, where he became chairman of the party.

A number of other candidates have been prevented from standing including: 

Siarhei Tsikhanouski, a popular Belarusian blogger who had become an icon of the street political movement, was jailed after leading thousands of supporters onto the streets. 

Viktar Babaryka, once considered to be Lukashenko's main opponent and a former chairman of JSC Belgazprombank, was also jailed for corruption-related offenses.

Valery Tsepkalo, a former ambassador to the U.S., was barred from standing after the electoral commission ruled he had not secured enough valid signatures. He later left the country, claiming he was facing trumped-up criminal charges.

These three decided to combine their campaign teams with Tsikhanouski's wife, Svetlana, as head of the coalition.

The issues

Lukashenko has put economics and political independence at the heart of his campaign. He pitches himself as the candidate of stability who is strong enough to stand up to Moscow, suggesting his opponents would deliver either subservience to Russian president Vladimir Putin or the chaos of a revolution.

For her part, Tsikhanouskaya has promised to hold a second election, including the candidates who failed to make the ballot this time around, if she wins. Almost all the opposition figures propose restricting the role of the president and bringing back term limits. Dmitriev and Cherachen advocate peacefully managed economic and social reforms, while Kanapatskaya stands for tax liberalization to support small businesses.

The street movement

With opposition candidates struggling to get their message across on state media, their supporters have taken to the streets to deliver their message. While official polling puts Lukashenko's approval rating as high as 76 percent, walls across the country have been covered in "3 percent" graffiti to illustrate what opponents believe is a more accurate measure of his popularity. 

In mid-July, thousands demonstrated in Belarus's largest cities but the rallies were suppressed by special forces and police.

COVID-19 denial

For some time, Belarus has stood almost alone in denying the threat posed by COVID-19. The authorities did not introduce any restrictive measures, with Lukashenko personally downplaying the danger of the virus. He subsequently contracted the illness but maintained that his "wise orders helped him to save the economy of the country" by avoiding a costly lockdown. Families of victims of the illness have played a part in the opposition movement, accusing the government of sacrificing the lives of their loved ones. 

The country's economy has traditionally been heavily reliant on Russia, which has helped to insulate it from fluctuations in the global economy with subsidies on imported gas and oil. However, those benefits are being withdrawn, posing questions over how the country can replace the lost revenue.